Automatic railroad gate



' April 23, 192 9. e} 'GUAINIERI 1 AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE Filed A ril 5. 1928 a Sheets-Sheet 1 :5 Shets-Shefl 2 III/I INVENTOR 25mg QM Ella,

G. GUARNIERI AuTo'MA TIC RAILROAD GATE April 23, 1929.

Filed April 5, 1928 April 23, 1929. a. GUARNIERI AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE Filed April 5, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 23,1929. 4

* UNITED S ATES PATENT oFF 'ce] GIUS EPIPE GUARNIERI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNO B 0F ONE SIX' IH TO ANTON'IQ RAG-AZZO.

, AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE.

Application filed April 5,1928. Serial No; 267,494.

This invention relates generally to rail-- ways and has more particular reference to a novel' automatic'mechanical railroad gate.

The invention has for an object the provision of a device of the class mentioned which is of simple durable construction, 'dependable and eificient in action, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

In thefollowing description and in the accompanying drawings, the-device is shown applied to four railway tracks, but it should be clear that this showing is not intended as a limitation. A gateelement is appliedto opposite sides ofv the tracks at a crossing. Each gate element conslsts of a central tower provided with a pair of pivoted and oppo sitely directed-arms.

These armshave. swingable stop signs attached and in their lowered positions signify that cross traffic should halt. .Provision is made. for vehicles caught between the gate elements in closed positions for safe passage.

Inthe open position of the gate elements are arms are latched in vertical position. Along the tracks" a considerable distance from the gate elements, trip devices are arranged and connected b cables with the latching means-just mentioned for releasing the arms, when acted upon by anapprioaoh v ing train. hen released the arms arearranged to assume horizontal positions. I

Othertripydevices are arranged a' considerable distance from the gate elements and-connected by cables with the arms for raising the arms, when acted uponby a leaving train. Thus the gates are operated automatically by mechanical means,' which insures a great degree of reliance.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appendedclaims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure: i

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of rail tracks and the gate device. V

Fig. '2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of one of the gate elements.v

Fig; 3 is; a-plan View of the rail -tracks and the gate and a schematic showing the trip devices connected with the gate.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 4-4- of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail viewof a portion of Fig. 3, one trip casing being shown in horizontal section.

V Fig. 6 :is an enlarged detail view of aning' shown in horizontal section.

. Fig. 7 is a. longitudinal vertical sectional view'of the. trip device'shown in Fig. 5;

. Fig; 8: is a "longitudinal.vertical sectional View of the trip device shown in Fig. 6.

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally tracks for trains running in one direction, and 1 1 represents tracks for trains running in the opposite direction. In the center, of a road transversely crossing the tracks andon opposite sides of the tracks, vertical towers 12 are positioned along the edges of the road and on opposite sides of the towers 12, vertical posts-13 are located.

The'towers 12: have side lugs-14 to which arms 1'5are pivotally connected. These arms are arranged on-opposite sides of the towers and the free ends thereof normally rest upon the posts 13 for assuming their horizontal position.

Tubular members 16 are pivotallyconother'portion of F ig. 3, one tripcasingbenected to the t'owers-12', androdS-l? slidably mounted therein are normally urgedxout-t wards by expansion springs 18. The outer ends of the rods have elongated slots19 inv .which pins 20 engage, these pins being arranged on the arms 15;

The towers 12 are of hollow construction and a pair of latch arms 20 are pivotally SLIPPOITGCLW'lt-l1111 each of'thetowers, inter-' .mediate of their ends, the free catch ends thereof projecting thru openings in the side of thetowers. Bars 21 as clearly seen 111 Fig. 1 are secured tothe arms 15 and ararms 20 for supportin the arms 15 in vertiscribed.

From certain of' the arms 15, upturned end portions 28 project from opposite sides-into the towerstlni'u slots in the sides of the towers. in the horizontal position of the arms.

hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the gate element on the near side of thetrac rs, reference being had to Fig.1, the left hand arm thereof has a flexible member attached thereto and guided over a pulley 36 on the top of the tower 12. Theright hand arm 15 of the gate element on the far side of the tracks, has a flexible member 37 attached thereto and guided over. a pulley 38 on the top of the tower 12. r

Stop signs 39 are swingably mounted on the lower ends of the arms 15. A vehicle of ordinary height caught between the gate elements when the arms 15 are lowered may continue to travel and pass beneath the arms 15, the stop signs 39 being swung away by the vehicle during its passing. 1f the vehicle is too high to permit passage beneath the an s 15, the free ends of the flexible members 35, 37 may be pulled by a party foreign to the vehicle to temporarily raise the arms 15 and permit passage. Quite obvious the escape of a vehicle caught between the gate elements depends upon suflicient time with respect to an approaching train.

Each of the trip devices 27 consists of a casing 46 formed with a slot 41 thru which a. trip 42 projects from within the casing.

This trip is pivotally connected to a block 44 slidably mounted on rods 43 supported in the casing. The trip is held in vertical position by a wheel 45 arranged to engage in a cavity 46 for lowering the trip 42. Cable 26 is attached to the block 44.

Eachof the-trip devices 34 consists of a casing 50 formed with a slot 51 thru which a trip 52 projects from within the casing. This trip is pivotally connected to a block 54 slidably mounted on rods 53 supported in the casing. The trip is held in vertical position by a wheel 55 arranged to engage in a cavity 56 for lowering the trip 42. Cable 33 is attached to the block 54.

The operation of the device may be traced by first assuming the arms in a vertical position and thus held by the catches 20. it

train approaching the crossing moves a trip 42 located at a suitable distance from the crossing, forward until wheel 45 drops into tthe cavity46 and immediately thereafter the trip 42. is moved back into its original position by a pull on the cables 24 and 26' which are counterbalanced by the cables 32 and 33 and the blocks 54, and the arms assume lowered positions very slowly.

A train leaving the crossing moves trip 52 which is preferably located at a'greater distance away from the crossing than trip 42, forward until wheel 55. drops into the cavity 56. This forward motion is communicated by cables 33 and 32 to the extensions 28 for raisin the arms back to vertical position. Spings 22 act to urge the catches 20-inte latching position so=as to be in operative position for the next train. It is pointed out that when'an approaching train moves. the trip 42 forwards the cable 26 will be drawn, which motion-is transmitted to cable 24 which then moves downwards and causes the latch members 20 to release the gate arms. Immediately after the train trip passes over the trip 42 the springs 22 will act to draw the cable 24 upwards which motion is transmitted to cable 26 and the trip 42 is drawn rearwards to its initial position. As the gate arms 15 descend thecables 32 are drawn upwards and move the trip 52 out of the depression 56 into a loaded position; When thetrain passes the trip 52, it moves this trip. forwards to its original position and such motion is transmitted thru the cables 32 for raising the gate elements .15.

The stop signs 31 and 39 are preferably coated with illuminous material, such as radium, to make the signs visible also during the night.

It is understood that while I have described this automatic railroad gate as having pivoted arms at bothsides of tower, it is to be understood that where the roadis narrow at the intersections, a single pivoted arm may be used and the tower maybe lo-:

.cated at one side of the road instead of at the center.

While I have shown and described'the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is end portions from the arms projecting into the appended the tower, a platform supported thereby, a rod projecting from the platform, and a stop sign secured to the end of the rod and arrangedto be visible When the arms assume the horizontal position, and hidden in the vertical position of the arms.

2. In a device of the class described, a hollow tower with side openings, arms pivoted thereto and extended in opposite directions and arranged to assume vertical and horizontal positions, end portions. from the arms projecting into the tower, a platform supported thereby, a rod projecting from the platform, and a stop sign secured on the end of the rod and arranged to be visible thru the said openings when the arms as-i when the arms assume the horizontal position, and hidden in the vertical position of the arms.

In testimony whereof I have signature.

GIUSEPPE GUARNIERIV. 

